cigarette, I wouldn't have minded trying to flick the ash off it
with a hunting-whip."

"Pity about that golf," mused Berry. "And you might have thrown
knives round me afterwards. As it is, you'll have to recite."

In a few telling sentences I intimated that I would do nothing
of the kind.

"I will appear," I said at last, "I will appear and run round
generally, but I promise nothing more."

"Nonsense," said my sister. "I have promised, and I'm not going
to let you break my word. You are going to do something
definite."

"Desperate?"

"Definite. You have three days in which to get ready. There's
Jill calling me. We're going to run over to Barley to whip up
the Ashton crowd. D'you think we've enough petrol?"

"I don't even care," said I.

Daphne laughed softly. Then: "I must go," she said, getting
up. "Give me a cigarette and tell me if you think this dress'll
do. I'm going to change my shoes."

"If," said I, producing my cigarette-case, "if you were half as
nice as you invariably look- "